


Aren't You A Little Small to Be A Trooper?

by Jestana



Series: SWTOR fics [9]
Category: Star Wars: The Old Republic
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-05
Updated: 2015-12-05
Packaged: 2018-02-16 06:20:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 10,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2259210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jestana/pseuds/Jestana
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just because he's not big and buff doesn't mean he can't fight for the Republic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Coruscant

**Author's Note:**

> These are just snippets I've written based on what I experience in the game on my second Trooper. As such, there'll be spoilers for bits and bobs of the storyline as I encounter them.
> 
> Edit: As with Pesinil, I put the 'panther' customization on Aric. That's going to be my go-to for all of my troopers.
> 
> Edit 2: I forgot to mention that Reynarden is Fiosynod's half-brother. He and Kira appear in one chapter.

Honestly, Aric wasn't surprised to find his new CO in the cantina, drinking his way through a bottle of something. Without a word, the sergeant slid onto the stool beside the lieutenant. The light blue eyes didn't leave the bottle in front of him. "Do you ever find yourself questioning whether you did the right thing or not?"

"Every good leader does," he replied, gesturing for a drink of his own. "It's part of what makes you a good leader. They look back at their past decisions and examine them to determine whether they were right or wrong and learn from the wrong ones they made."

Reynarden emptied the bottle into his glass. "Let me guess: bad leaders don't look back at all?"

"Exactly." He nodded and watched the human toss back his drink. "If I may, sir: are you thinking about those civilians Krel operated on?"

A nod and a signal for another bottle. "I am. I didn't want to do it, but I couldn't risk putting the general population in danger."

"I know." The Cathar unobtrusively slid the bottle out of reach when the bartender brought it. "I'd be more worried if you _didn't_ express any regret over it."

Reynarden stared into his empty glass. "I just wanted to serve the Republic and defend it from the Empire, like my brother."

"Nothing in your file mentioned a brother in the service." Aric eyed him with surprised curiosity.

His CO shook his head. "He's not in the service. He's a Jedi. In fact, he's on Coruscant right now, too."

"You can meet up with family, you know." The sergeant reminded him.

"I know." With that, the lieutenant slumped onto the bar and began to snore.

Aric finished his drink and scooped the human up onto his shoulders to carry him to the quarters they'd been given. _I'm pretty sure we could've avoided killing those civs, but it was_ his _call to make. He'll have to find a way to live with it._

* * *

Jaxo woke to the sound of hushed cursing. "Fragging hell. It was for _nothing_ , then?"

"What's wrong, Rey?" she asked, sitting up and rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

He looked up from the datapad in his hands, blue eyes full of anger and sadness. "One of my targets on Coruscant claimed to have put 'undetectable' cybernetic implants into civilians, who he would then let go and use to attack the general population."

"That sounds pretty bad. What'd you do about them?" She drew her knees up to her chest and rested her arms on them, curious.

He stabbed at the button on the datapad and tossed it on top of the pile of his discarded armor. "What else could I do? Thousands could die if I let them go, so I killed them."

"That's never easy." Jaxo watched him pace the floor at the foot of the bed, clad only in a pair of boxer shorts. "Did you get news about them?"

Reynarden nodded, stopping and scrubbing his eyes with the heels of his hands. "I did. Turns out _none_ of them had implants in them. I killed them for _nothing_!"

She scrambled from the bed and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him. "You didn't know that at the time. You couldn't have been sure if they _were_ threats or not."

"Maybe I could have handled things differently." He shuddered in her arms, sounding lost.

Jaxo swayed from side-to-side, hoping to soothe him a little. She knew Havoc squad was his first command. He'd never had to make decisions like this before. He'd never had to face consequences like this before. "What could you have done differently? Let them go and risk thousands of other innocent lives?"

"I don't know!" He pressed his face to her sleep-tangled hair. "Gotten their ID numbers so our people could keep an eye on them?"

She kissed his cheek softly, wishing she didn't have to say this. He may be her superior officer, but he was still pretty young. "They're dead, Rey, and you can't bring them back with wishing. The best you can do is learn from this."

"I know." His voice broke and he shuddered once again.

Jaxo could only hold him as he mourned for the civilians who'd died by his hand. _One of the toughest parts of the job and it doesn't get any easier._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I got the in-game message about the civilians not having implants, I had to write his reaction to the news.


	2. After Taris

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elara and Reynarden get to know each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hadn't forgotten Reynarden. I wanted to get the other characters caught up. Now that they are, I'll be updating his story along with the others.

Upon arriving in the training area her first 'morning' on the ship, Elara found her new CO already there. To her surprise, however, he wasn't using the any of the weight machines, but the gymnastics equipment. Wearing regulation tank top and shorts, he moved with fluid grace from one position to the next on the parallel bars, his expression focused and stern. She gasped when his grip on the bars slipped and he fell onto the mats. Quite without thinking, she hurried forward, "Are you all right, sir?"

"Oh, hi, Elara." He smiled sheepishly at her as he scrambled to his feet. "I'm fine. Guess I need to spend more time on the parallel bars. I shouldn't have missed that."

She nodded, offering a small smile. "I don't profess to be an expert on gymnastics, but it looked to me like you were doing very well, sir."

"I was trying to do an old routine, but I kept fudging it." He scrubbed a hand over the top of his head and smiled wryly at her. "Thank you for the compliment, though."

Squeezing her hand briefly, he walked over the towel and water bottle waiting on a bench by the bulkhead. Watching him, she couldn't contain her curiosity: "How long have you been doing gymnastics? It wasn't in your personnel file."

"Since I was a kid." He took a deep drink of water. "Mother studied it when she was a kid and thought it would benefit me more than my brother, Fio."

She nodded again, ignoring the pang that went through her at the thought of her own brother. "It looked like it has, sir. What about the self-defense required by the Army?"

"I took the standard hand-to-hand courses, but most of the guys wiped the floor with me because they were bigger and stronger." He grimaced, and then grinned wickedly. "That was at first. Once I learned how to use that against them, _I_ wiped the floor with _them_."

Elara began stretching to loosen up her muscles in preparation for her own workout. "That's usually how it works, sir. Larger and stronger opponents tend to underestimate us because of our smaller size. If we take advantage of that assumption, however, we can usually defeat them."

"Exactly." He began stretching as well. "What do you do to keep yourself in shape?"

She began wrapping her hands and bare feet. "Kickboxing, sir. It keeps me limber and toned, as per regulation 75-1. And I happen to be good at it."

"Something tells me you'd be good at anything you put your mind to." He grinned and finished stretching. "I'll leave you to it, then."

He walked over to a line of mats and began to do tumbling runs, his small, lithe body twisting and contorting in the air with each pass. Shaking herself, Elara walked over to the large punching bag and began to familiarize herself with the weight and heft of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a gymnastics fan and I figured, if anyone knows it, Reynarden would. The regulation Elara cites was made up, but I figured there'd be something in the regs about staying in shape.


	3. After Nar Shaddaa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elara helps Reynarden deal with his anger over certain orders he's been given.

During the trip from Taris to Nar Shaddaa, Aric had grown used to finding both Reynarden and Elara working out in the training room first thing in the 'morning'. He usually did some sort of gymnastics while she did kickboxing. This morning, however, he found them, well, sparring. They were exchanging kicks and punches so quickly that he could barely track it. He only knew the basics of kickboxing, but from what he could see, they were evenly matched. Reynarden had more upper body strength, but Elara had more experience. It ended when she knocked him flat on his back and pinned him with an arm across his throat before he could recover his breath or his wits. "Do you yield, sir?"

"I yield." He nodded, catching his breath. She stood up and extended her hand to him. He took it and she helped him to his feet. "Good match."

Elara nodded, the corners of her mouth curving slightly. "You, too, sir."

"It helped, too." They walked over to the bench where towels and water waited for them.

She picked up one towel and wiped her face and neck with it. "If you ever need my help again, sir, don't hesitate to ask."

"I won't." He stripped off his sweat-soaked tank top and used his towel to wipe away the sweat on his face, neck, and chest.

Aric's mouth twitched with amusement when he noticed that Elara stared at Reynarden's bare chest for a few moments before hastily turning away to take a sip of her water. He decided that this was a good time to announce his presence and entered the training room properly. "Help with what, sir?"

"Just a way to work out my frustrations, Jorgan." The lieutenant explained while Elara excused herself to shower and change.

He hid a smile at the way his CO followed her with his eyes until she was gone. "What sort of frustrations, sir?"

"General Garza walked us right into a trap." Reynarden's face screwed up into a fierce scowl. "Sure, we survived, but it still bothered me that she was willing to do that to us."

Jorgan folded his arms across his chest. "Are you _really_ that surprised? She ordered you to kill those civilians on Coruscant and wanted a sample of the plague that Needles was working on. Ordering us to retrieve that cloaking device is more than typical for her."

"Doesn't mean it was right." Still scowling, he draped the towel around his neck and took a long drink of his water.

Aric shrugged. "Didn't say it was. Just that she'll keep giving us orders like that one."

"Yeah, I know." He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Anyway, I need a shower. Enjoy your workout, Sergeant."

Before he could reply, the lieutenant left the training room. Shrugging again, he began to stretch for his own workout. _At least you're realizing that Garza's orders might not always be the_ right _ones. Up to you if you decide to remember that next time._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aric's amused NOW, but later he'll just be like "KISS ALREADY!"


	4. After Tatooine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reynarden forgets the cardinal rule of working in the desert: stay hydrated!

"Sir, are you all right?" Elara asked once they finished making their report to Garza.

Reynarden swiped a hand across his face. "Now that you mention it, I feel a little light-headed."

"You look flushed." She reached up to press the back of her hand against his forehead. "You're burning up."

He smiled and leaned into her touch. "That feels good."

"You're badly dehydrated. Didn't you drink your water?" She nodded to Aric and they steered their CO towards the medical bay.

The lieutenant stumbled, but didn't resist. "There were people that needed water more than me. I gave it to them."

"You're lucky you lasted this long." Together, they helped him lay on one of the beds and she removed one of his gloves and bracers so she could insert a saline drip. "Just lay there quietly, sir. We'll get us to Alderaan."

Jorgan left the medbay once he saw that Reynarden was taken care of. When she moved to step away to get a datapad, he caught her hand with his. "Dorne."

"I'm here, sir." She looked at his face. His eyes were closed.

As she turned her hand to feel his pulse, he turned his face towards her. "Good soldier. Good woman."

"Thank you, sir." She didn't like the way his pulse fluttered under her fingers and adjusted the fluids flowing through the IV.

Reynarden shifted restlessly. "Don't leave. I-- the squad needs you."

"I'm not going anywhere sir, I promise." Her heart skipped a beat at what his words meant. She had to admit that she liked him very much. He may joke around sometimes and tease her, but he was a good soldier and turning into a fine leader. She'd have accepted a post on Havoc Squad regardless of who was commanding it, but she had to admit that she was glad that Reynarden in particular was the commander.

He sighed deeply and his breathing deepened and slowed as he drifted off to sleep. "Good. Stay forever."

"I'll do my best to follow that order, sir."


	5. Alderaan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Subtitle: Bond of Brothers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first scene coincides with the first scene of Fio's Alderaan chapter and the second scene isn't too long after the second scene of Fio's chapter. I wanted to acknowledge their relationship somehow.

"Sir! What's wrong?" Elara fumbled to retrieve her scanner from her medkit. They were on their way out of the Organa Palace on Alderaan to check out Markus Thul's story about the missile battery when Reynarden stopped and doubled over, clutching his chest.

He stayed bent over, gasping for breath, as she scanned him and frowned. He smiled weakly at that. "Nothing, right, Dorne?"

She raised her eyebrows at him, surprised that he didn't seem worried. "Correct, sir. The scanner says there's nothing wrong with you."

The lieutenant slowly straightened up, reaching up to wipe a hand across his eyes. "That's because it's not a physical ailment."

"This has happened before?" She ignored a stab of worry at the thought that this could happen again. "There was nothing in your file about it."

He shook his head and turned to look towards one of the other buildings in the complex. "I've told you my brother is a Jedi, right?"

"You have, sir." She nodded, a little puzzled by the seeming non-sequitur.

Sighing deeply, he turned back to her. "While we were growing up, we realized the two of us have a bond. It's not very strong, but if my brother experiences any extreme emotions and I'm nearby, I experience them, too, though it's to a lesser extent."

"Are you suggesting that he's on Alderaan as well?" She couldn't imagine being able to experience someone else's emotion like that. Her own emotions were enough for her to deal with.

He nodded, absently rubbing his chestplate. "I am and something that he learned upset him deeply. I mostly felt grief from him, but there was denial and anger in there, too."

"It would take a lot for a Jedi to feel that much emotion," she observed, trying to picture a man like Reynarden except holding a lightsaber instead of an assault cannon.

The lieutenant shrugged and glanced towards the building again. "Fio wasn't one to keep his emotions completely in check, but this-- It was very strong. I hope he's fine."

"Perhaps you can contact him when this is over and see how he's doing?" Elara didn't like seeing him worried and she knew _she_ would want to contact her brother if she'd felt those emotions from him.

He nodded, his frown fading. "Yeah, that's a good idea. For now, we have a job to do."

Putting on their helmets, they set off.

* * *

"Sir!" Elara's speeder skidded to a stop when Reynarden suddenly veered off in a completely different direction. By the time she managed to get her speeder turned around and after her CO, he was a good distance ahead of her. Toggling the comm channel in her helmet, she asked, "Sir, what is it?"

After a moment, he responded, his voice sounding ragged, "You know that grief I felt from my brother earlier? I felt it again, stronger, and accompanied by rage. I _have_ to find out what happened."

"Are you sure charging headlong towards him is the best idea?" she asked, watching as he barely swerved in time to avoid a tree.

She could see him shake his head. "Probably not, but I _have_ to know. You have a brother. Wouldn't _you_ need to know?"

"Yes, of course-- WATCH OUT!" Elara could only watch helplessly as Reynarden's speeder crashed into one going the opposite direction.

He was thrown clear, as was the man riding the other speeder. She stopped her speeder and scrambled off of it to hurry to the lieutenant. He was already stirring by the time she reached him. A quick scan showed that he hadn't suffered any damage, thanks to his armor. He removed his helmet and rolled to a sitting position. "I'm fine. Just a little tossed around."

"You should've been more--" her words were cut off by the arrival of a fourth person, also on a speeder.

She wore Jedi robes and had a lightsaber hilt clipped to her belt. Completely ignoring Elara and Reynarden, she dropped to her knees beside the other body. "Master! Fio!"

"Fio?" He scrambled over to the other body, suddenly worried.

The other woman looked at him in surprise. "You know him, Lieutenant?"

"He's my brother," he explained, and then turned to Elara. "Dorne?"

She froze when she got a good look at the unconscious man. _He's Sith Pureblood? How is he Reynarden's brother?_ Despite her reserve, she still used her scanner on the man. "He's fine, sir. Just knocked out."

"Oh, Master." The young woman wiped a hand across her eyes, the other holding the unconscious man's hand.

Reynarden looked at her curiously. "Are you Fio's Padawan?"

"Yes. Kira Carsen." She offered her hand to him.

He shook it. "Lieutenant Reynarden. This is my medical officer, Sergeant Elara Dorne."

"You sound like an Imp." The Padawan looked curious, but not hostile.

Kneeling beside her CO, she explained simply, "I defected from the Empire several years ago."

"I see." Kira nodded, and then looked between Reynarden and her master, clearly curious.

He sighed deeply, exasperated. "Yes, we're brothers. Same mother, different fathers."

"Reynar?" The stranger stirred and they all focused on him. "What're you doing here?"

The lieutenant and Kira helped him sit up as Elara scanned him again. "My job, Fio. I'm assuming that's why you're here, too."

"I can't give details." Though his expression was calm, she could see pain and grief in his eyes, which seemed to be flickering between yellow and orange.

Reynarden punched his brother's shoulder. "Something happened to upset you, Fio. I felt it. What was it?"

"I-- I can't. It--" He gulped and buried his face in his hands.

Kira wrapped an arm around his shoulders and explained in a soft voice. "We watched Darth Angral kill Master Orgus Din via holo."

"Oh, man, Fio." Looking helpless, Reynarden clapped a hand on his brother's shoulder. "I'm sorry. No wonder--"

Though it was clear her CO wanted to stay with his brother, Elara knew they had a mission of their own. "Sir, we need to go."

"Right, right." Scrubbing his face, the lieutenant got to his feet. He looked down at the two Jedi. "Take care of him for me, Kira."

She offered a wan smile. "Don't have to tell me twice. It was nice to meet you both."

"Nice to meet you, too." Reynarden put his helmet on and they headed off.


	6. Look Out!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All the traitors are dead or captured, right? RIGHT?

"Sir! Look out!" Elara's shout startled him as they jogged back to their ship after leaving Tavus in Garza's custody. Before Reynarden could register what her shout meant, she shoved him from behind. His years of gymnastics training took over and he turned the shove into a roundoff. Even as he regained his feet, he drew his blaster to shoot the defectors that had somehow avoided both sweeps of _Justice_.

In a lull in the volley of blaster fire, he heard a quiet 'clink' and looked down to see a thermal detonator rolling to a stop right at Elara's feet. Without stopping to think, he shoved her away from the detonator. "Look out!"

"Lieutenant!" He ignored her protest as he fell on the det, curling his body into a ball. After a moment of fiery agony, he fell into blissful blackness.

Reynarden woke briefly in the kolto tank and saw Elara through the liquid. He wondered if he imagined the worry and concern on her face. Then unconsciousness took him again. The next time he woke up, everything was dim and quiet, a blanket draped over him. Carefully looking around, he smiled when he saw Elara slumped in a chair by the medbed, asleep. When he shifted positions, he realized she held his left hand in one of hers. Experimenting, he gently squeezed her hand. She stirred and sat up, rubbing the back of her neck with her free hand. He barely managed to whisper, "Physician, heal thyself."

"Sir?" She sat up straight, her eyes snapping to his. A smile seemed to light her face when she saw him looking back at her. "It's good to see you awake."

He smiled back, squeezing her hand again. "It's--" He coughed before he could continue. "Water?"

"Yes, of course, sir." She had to let go of his hand to pour a glass of water for him, but it was a small price to pay for the luxury of water on his parched throat.

He made a face when she didn't let him have more than one glass. "I'm thirsty."

"Not too much too fast, sir, or you'll make yourself sick." She set the glass aside.

Reynarden made another face, but didn't protest further. "How long have I been out?"

"You were in the kolto tank for several days, sir, to mend broken bones, lacerations, burns, and a punctured lung." By now, Elara's usual composed mask was back in place. He wondered if he imagined the pain in her eyes. "And I took the liberty of sedating you for another day once you came out of the tank. Your armor was beyond salvaging."

He nodded, tangling his fingers in his blanket to have something to do with them now that she wasn't holding his hand anymore. "I'll requisition more when we get to Coruscant. How close are we, anyway?"

"Another day or two to get there." She patted his hand reassuringly. "You'll be able to make your report to General Garza on your feet."

Reynarden nodded again, catching her hand to squeeze it again. "Good. Thanks, Elara. You're the best."

"That's why you picked me for Havoc Squad, sir." She looked away, but didn't withdraw her hand.

He raised an eyebrow. "Something bothering you?"

"Why, sir?" She looked back at him, her forehead furrowed with puzzlement.

He stared at her, surprised by the question. "Why what?"

"Why did you do it?" She dropped her gaze to their hands.

Gently, he stroked the back of her hand with his thumb, his voice soft. "Because I couldn't _not_ do it. The thought of seeing you blown to bits before my eyes when I could have prevented it was horrible." He tucked his fingers under her chin and gently tilted her head up so her eyes met his. "I couldn't stand the thought of losing you."

Just as she opened her mouth to reply, there was a tap on the closed door, "Sergeant Dorne, is the lieutenant awake?"

"He is, Sergeant Jorgan." She gently pulled away and got up to open the door.

As the Cathar entered, she slipped out. Reynarden folded his arms across his chest and glared at him. Aric stopped and stared at him. "What?"

"You have the _worst_ timing, Jorgan."


	7. Balmorra

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reynarden finally catches up with Tanno.

He knew holos could be deceiving, especially handheld holos like he'd been using. Still, Tanno Vik hadn't expected his new CO to be so... small. Reynarden looked like the top of his head would barely reach Tanno's shoulder. Still, he was the CO for a reason and he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. "Well, it's been fun, guys. But it looks like my ride is here. Nice knowing you."

"Drop your weapons! Surrender--now!" The Imp who'd been beating him turned and pointed his blaster rifle at the captain and the droid at his side.

Neither weapon wavered and the human's tone was exasperated. "Don't be stupid. You really think I'm going to waltz in here with my weapon out and surrender because you demanded it?"

"He has a pretty good point there, don't you think?" Tanno couldn't resist making a snarky comment, his estimation of the captain going up even more.

Brel talked big, but Tanno knew the man was really a coward at heart. "Shut up! We do not negotiate with riffraff. The Empire fears no one, isn't that right?"

"Yes, sir!" The idiot Imp at least didn't take his eyes off of his opponent.

A smirk curled one corner of the captain's mouth. "Your funeral, idiots."

"What are you waiting for? Kill them!" Orus produced the most pathetic excuse for a blaster pistol Tanno had ever seen and pointed it at the soldiers. His new CO shot it out of the man's hand almost casually.

The Weequay rolled out of the way as a firefight promptly erupted. Despite his small size, Reynarden handled his assault cannon as if it weighed nothing at all. He and the droid stood back-to-back as they cleared the room of Imperial soldiers. Once the fighting finished, the human shouldered his cannon and walked over to unlock the binders on Tanno's wrists. "Well, that was exciting." He stood up, rubbing his wrists. Just as he'd suspected, Reynarden's head didn't even reach his shoulder. "It's good to finally meet you in person, Captain."

He wasn't prepared for the right hook to his jaw. "You've given me nothing but trouble, Vik. I won't forget that."

"Ugh! Come on... haven't I had enough for one day?" He shook his head, trying to stop it from ringing. Despite his small size, Reynarden was _strong_. Tanno indicated Brel Orus, cowering in the corner. "He's the bad guy here, not me."

Shaking, Orus got to his feet as they approached him, the droid's three feet clicking on the duracete floor behind them. "Uh... let's not be hasty, now. I am a man of honor, despite what you may have heard."

"Yeah, 'nice guy.' You stole from your people and betrayed them to the Empire by accident." He'd forgotten how good it felt to have reliable back up.

Predictably, Brel tried to worm his way out of getting his just desserts. "I've made mistakes, certainly. But allow me to make amends. A contribution of credits, say, to repay the Republic's heroism on behalf of my fellow Balmorrans?"

"You can't buy your way out of this." Reynarden drew his blaster and shot the man.

Behind them, the droid said something along the lines of, "Thus to all Imperials!" Vik honestly wasn't paying that much attention to him.

"Good riddance." Maybe being back in the Republic Army wouldn't be as bad as he'd thought.


	8. Quesh

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lately, every time Elara and Reynarden start to have a heart-to-heart, someone comes along and interrupts them. It's more than a little frustrating.

"You all right in there, Dorne?" Reynarden called as she worked the shampoo through her hair. They'd just finished on Quesh and were now decontaminating themselves before returning to their ship.

She very carefully did _not_ think about the fact that her CO stood on the other side of a flimsy cubicle wall, naked and soaking wet. "I'm fine, sir. I have more hair to wash than you do, that's all."

"Good point." He chuckled and she heard him shut off his water, the drain sucking up the excess. "How much hair _do_ you have, anyway? I've never seen it down."

Elara smiled as she ducked under the spray to rinse the shampoo out. "You'll see in a few minutes, sir. It'll take too long to dry properly before we go to the ship."

"You'll be forgiven for being out of uniform." He gave a soft huff of laughter. "Good thing Jorgan didn't go with us. All that fur to dry--"

She shook her head with a wry smile as she turned off the water and squeezed as much out of her hair as she could. "He'd have likely been very vocal about his displeasure."

"He always is." Reynarden laughed again, louder this time.

Stepping out of the cubicle, she wound one towel around her hair and used the other to dry herself off. "He's certainly not shy about voicing his opinion."

"Should have heard the way he growled at me when I first met him on Ord Mantell." The captain sounded amused.

Dressing in the tunic and pants provided by the station, she unwound the towel around her head and used it to dry her hair further as she emerged from the changing area. Reynarden sat on a bench, clad in a tunic and pants as well, looking very relaxed. "Let me guess: he was a real hardass to you at first."

"Still is to some extent." Her CO looked up as she sat down beside him and stared at her.

Elara fidgeted under his stare, reaching up to comb her fingers through her still-damp hair. "Is something wrong?"

"No, no, of course not." He smiled reassuringly at her. "Your hair is beautiful when it's down. Too bad that's not regulation."

She smiled shyly, flattered by his open appreciation. "No, it isn't, but I can't bear to cut it."

"Don't you dare." Reynarden mock-glared at her. "It's too beautiful to cut."

Greatly daring, she patted his hand with hers. "I quite agree with you, sir, so don't you worry."

"Maybe we should all go out together once we finally take out the Gauntlet." He caught her hand with his and squeezed it lightly. "Give us all a chance to let our hair down and just relax."

Offering a wry smile, she glanced up at his head and said, "You don't have any hair to 'let down', sir. How will you manage it?"

"Captain, Lieutenant, here's your gear. Spic and span." The sergeant arrived with their armor and weapons before Reynarden could retort.

Returning his salute, they accepted their gear. "Thank you, Sergeant."

She ducked into her cubicle to change, part of her disappointed that they'd been interrupted. _We need a chance to talk without anyone interrupting us._


	9. Hoth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reynarden visits Jaxo before heading to Hoth.

"Rey?" Jaxo blinked and looked around when she realized he wasn't still beside her in the bed.

Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she sat up and spotted him standing at the window, wearing his boxer shorts and looking out at the rising sun. He turned slightly. "Good morning."

"Morning." Sliding from the bed, she pulled her robe on and joined him at the window, slipping her arms around his waist. "Any news this morning?"

He shook his head, covering her hands with his. "Nope, not this time."

"What are you doing up so early?" Jaxo pressed her face to his left shoulder, hiding from the light spilling through the window.

Reynarden chuckled and squeezed her hand. "I don't get many chances to watch a sun rise these days. I like to watch it when I can."

"Come back to bed, then." She kissed the back of his shoulder, tracing the tattoo there with her lips. He'd added it since they'd last seen each other: two lines in elegant script that she couldn't read. She hadn't asked what they meant and he hadn't volunteered an explanation.

He shook his head, resting his hand on the window. "The sun's still rising."

"I'll make something else rise." She grinned mischievously against his shoulder.

Reynarden chuckled, bringing her hand up to kiss the back. "Who can refuse an offer like that?"

"Not you, I hope." She straightened up as he turned to face her. Her smile faded when she saw his face. "Is something wrong?"

He cupped her cheek with his hand. "I've... met someone."

"Then why did you come see me?" Jaxo raised her eyebrows, more curious than hurt. This thing between them wasn't serious, just a bit of fun between friends.

He smiled softly, stroking her cheek with his thumb. "We've flirted a bit, but haven't had a chance to do more than that and I wanted to see you again. I should have said something last night, I know."

"Shh." She leaned in and kissed him softly. "I'm not hurt. We both know this isn't more than a fling. You're a great guy, but--"

Reynarden looked relieved. "Yeah, just fun between friends."

"Exactly." She closed the distance between them, pressing her breasts to his chest. "Now, let's have some fun."

Laughing, he kissed her and she quickly deepened it. This was probably her last chance to have him and she was going to enjoy it.

* * *

"You look like you have something on your mind, Dorne," Reynarden remarked as they sat at Senth Outpost, trying to thaw out a little before moving on.

She smiled faintly and took a sip of her caf. "I was thinking about the mission we just finished, with the Imperials."

"Did it make you uncomfortable?" He rested his hand over hers, sending a thrill through her. "Working with the Imps?"

Elara shook her head, daring to turn her hand over and squeeze his. "No. I was actually gratified to see that we _could_ work with the Imperials." She sighed regretfully. "Though not without some suspicion and distrust."

"Katcho had some bad experiences with Imps in the past." Her CO returned the gentle squeeze. "That colored his expectations. If it'd been up to him, a lot of good men and women would be dead and Biron would be on his way to a Republic prison."

This time, her smile was stronger. "Thank goodness he wasn't and _you_ were."

"The last time I blindly did as I was told without stopping to think it through, innocent civilians lost their lives." He stared into the middle distance, his grip on her hand tightening. "Those Imperials may have been soldiers, but I wasn't about to turn on them without just cause."

She wiggled her fingers in his grip and he quickly loosened it. "A fact for which I'm sure those Imperial soldiers would be grateful if they knew."

"I'm not about to go find them and tell them." He rolled his eyes, a smile twitching at the corners of his mouth.

Elara laughed softly. "I won't either. I'm content to stay here with you."

"It's mutual, then."


	10. Finally!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elara and Reynarden finally talk without being interrupted.

Reynarden smiled when Elara opened her eyes. He'd been worried about her. "Hey."

"Sir!" She started to sit up and stopped after a few centimeters, wincing.

He gently helped her lay back down. "Stay still. You don't want to ruin Jorgan and Yuun's hard work, do you?"

"No, I don't." Elara smiled weakly, catching his hand with hers when he made to pull it away. "Did we succeed, Captain? Is the Gauntlet--"

Smiling, he squeezed her hand reassuringly. "Yes, it's been destroyed. We're on our way to Coruscant to be debriefed."

"Good, I'm glad." She returned the squeeze. She shifted position and didn't quite stifle a gasp of pain. "S-sorry, Sir."

He gently brushed her hair back from her face. "For what? You haven't done anything that requires apologies."

"For getting hurt." It could have been his imagination, but she seemed to turn her head into his touch. "It feels like I'll be out of action for awhile."

Stifling a laugh, he shook his head. "No, you don't need to apologize for that, Elara. If either of us needs to apologize, it should be me for choosing to send you to the bridge."

"No, you don't, Sir. You couldn't have known--" Elara stopped short, surprised, and then a sheepish smile curved her lips. "I see your point."

Reynarden grinned and smoothed his thumb over the back of her hand. "Not everything is your fault, you know."

"I know." She sighed deeply. "Sometimes it feels like it, though."

He leaned forward and kissed her cheek. "I know the feeling."

"Sir-- Reynarden." She cupped his cheek with her hand before he could sit up and turned her head enough to brush her lips across his.

He grinned, his heart racing in his chest. "Does that mean what I think it means?"

"If you think it means I'm interested in pursuing a more personal relationship with you, then yes." Her eyes glinted playfully.

Still grinning, he leaned forward to kiss her softly. "Get well soon, Elara."

"Is that an order, sir?" Her mouth twitched as if she was fighting a smile.

Reynarden kissed her again. "A fervent request."

"I'll do my best."

"You always do."


	11. After Belsavis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reynarden mourns and Elara comforts him.

"Set course for Voss," Reynarden ordered once General Garza disconnected the call.

Only Elara and Jorgan (maybe), could hear the tiny break in his voice, like a hairline fracture. "Yes, sir." She nodded to the Cathar, who nodded back and turned to Vik and Yuun.

She followed their CO to his quarters, slipping inside before the door closed. Once it did, his shoulders slumped and he pressed one hand to his eyes. "She was there because of me. She died because of _me_."

"Did you really have a choice, sir?" She asked, watching as he began discarding his armor, piece by piece. She knew it wasn't much of a comfort, but she had to point it out.

He stripped off his undershirt, balling it up and tossing it in the general direction of his laundry hamper. "Small comfort. Her voice-- the way it--"

"I know, sir." She caught his hand when he reached for his armor, fairly certain he intended to grab a piece and throw it at the bulkhead. "Would she _really_ have wanted all those people to die, just so she could live?"

Reynarden shook his head, making no effort to free his hand from hers. "No. Not when-- if she'd had a chance to think about it."

"It's obvious she means more to you than simply someone you did a couple ops with." Elara had suspected it with the way he'd perked up when Garza had mentioned Jaxo's name.

He sighed deeply, scrubbing his other hand over the top of his head. "We slept together a couple times. Wrote to each other occasionally. That's about it."

"I suspected as much." Releasing his hand, she began removing her own armor. He finally turned to look at her, blue eyes glittering with unshed tears. "I won't be hurt if you mourn for her. I'm here for you."

The major all but crumpled to his knees then, giving in to grief he must have been holding back ever since he gave the order that would mean Jaxo's death. The captain knelt beside him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. He clutched at her, his fingertips pressing into her skin hard enough to leave bruises. She ignored the pain and pressed a kiss to the top of his head, murmuring softly to him, reassuring him that she was there for him. When his sobs finally faded, he admitted quietly, "I think, if circumstances had turned out differently, I might have fallen for her."

"She sounds like she was a remarkable woman." Elara helped him stand up and guided him over to the bed. "I might've, too."

Reynarden stared at her in surprise, even as he slid under the covers. "Did I hear that right?"

"I'm not in the habit of mumbling, so, yes, you did." She joined him under the covers after releasing her hair from its bun and wrapped her arms around him. "Sleep now, medic's orders."

"Sir, yes, sir," he mumbled, burying his face in her neck and wrapping his arms around her.

She pressed a kiss to the top of his head and held him close as he drifted off to sleep. _Rest in peace, Ava Jaxo. You will be missed._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you collect the interrogation logs while storming prison colony A-77, you find out that Jaxo was there specifically so Garza would send Havoc Squad to the prison. It was a trap and Jaxo was the bait.


	12. Voss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, it's hard for a medic to accept that they couldn't save someone.

_"Agent? I have no pulse. He's gone."_

_"He was in bad shape, Elara. There was nothing more you could do."_

_"As you say, Major."_

"Elara?" Reynarden's voice startled Elara from her memories and she hastily scrubbed her eyes.

She turned to her CO with a polite smile. "Yes, sir?"

"Are you all right?" He stepped further into the medbay and slid the door shut behind him. He'd changed out of his armor and partly into his uniform in preparation for the hearing on Coruscant.

Still smiling, she turned back to the work she'd supposedly been doing. "I'm fine, sir. Why wouldn't I be?"

"You couldn't save Agent Kellor." Voice gentle, he lightly rested his hands on her shoulders, warm through her cortosis weave. "Something tells me that's bothering you more than you've let on."

She kept her voice even, steady, resisting the urge to lean back into Reynarden's warmth. "I'm a military medic, sir. I can't save everyone."

"That doesn't mean you don't beat yourself up over losing someone." He moved close enough to brush a kiss against the back of her neck. "Besides, I can tell you've been crying."

Elara shut her eyes tight, clenching her hands around her datapad. She swallowed hard. "I should've-- should've done--"

"What more could you have done?" His voice was quiet, understanding. "You saw the creatures we had to fight through to even _get_ to him."

Dropping her datapad on the table, she pressed her hands to her eyes. "I should've been able to do _something_ for him! I'm on the squad because I'm the best!"

"That doesn't mean you don't lose people." She didn't resist when he gently turned her around and slid his arms around her waist. "Let yourself cry, Elara. We've completed the mission and you're not on duty anymore."

Something in the tenderness of his voice and the gentleness of his touch broke the dam and she began to cry in earnest, clinging to him. He wrapped his arms around her, strong and steady, holding her as she'd held him. She didn't know how long they stood there as she cried, but she felt immensely lighter when her tears finally stopped. Wiping at her cheeks, she told him, "Thank you."

"Anytime." He pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and handed it to her. "You may want to wash your face before you go anywhere. Your make-up's a mess."

Elara blushed when she saw his shirt. "And I got some of it on your shirt, too. They're going to know--"

"We _already_ know, Dorne," Jorgan called through the door, startling both of them. "You two haven't been fooling anyone."

Reynarden walked to the door and opened it to find Jorgan, Yuun, and Vik all gathered in the corridor. "Gentlemen? Would you care to explain yourselves?"

"Good going, Jorgan. So much for the pool." Tanno folded his arms across his massive chest.

Elara, dabbing at her eyes with a washcloth, joined the others. "What pool?"

_"Are you feeling better, Captain?"_ Yuun asked her, his concern obvious.

She nodded, smiling at the Gand. He'd been with her and Reynarden when they'd found the SIS agents in the Nightmare Lands. "Yes, Lieutenant, I am."

"What pool was Corporal Vik referring to?" Reynarden demanded, folding his arms across his chest as he glowered at his squad.

Shuffling his feet awkwardly, Aric said, "We, uh, we--"

"We were wondering how long it'd take you two to give up pretending to fool the rest of us," Vik took over with a smirk. "Except Jorgan had--"

The Cathar turned to the Weequay with a growl. "That's _Lieutenant_ Jorgan--"

"Stuff it, both of you." Reynarden snapped, both males turning back to him. Aric had the decency to look sheepish. Tanno, on the other hand, looked far too pleased with himself. "Whatever pool you had going, I'm ending it and I expect whoever was running it--" here he looked very hard at Vik "--to refund the credits. I don't care if you bet on sports, but the personal lives of your squadmates are _off limits_. Am I clear?"

Looking put-out now, their demolitions expert nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Good. Jorgan, Yuun, the two of you are going with me to this Senate Hearing. Your uniforms had better look sharp. Whatever it's about, Havoc Squad needs to look its best." Reynarden turned to Elara once they'd acknowledged his orders. "Since we're not fooling them, Elara, what do you say we spend some time together away from these idiots?"

"That sounds perfect, Reynar." She slipped her hand into his and followed him to his quarters. She glanced back to see all three males beating a hasty retreat.

Once the door closed behind them, he drew her close for a soft kiss. "We'll do whatever you want, all right?"

"Just hold me for now." She wrapped her arms around him once again.

He slipped his arms around her and kissed her cheek. "Gladly."

She turned her head and kissed him properly. _All right, maybe a_ bit _more than holding._


	13. Corellia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elara and Reynarden take care of each other's injuries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoilers for the end of the Trooper storyline

"Major! What happened to you?" Elara exclaimed when Aric helped Reynarden limp over to where she and the resistance medics had set up 'shop'.

He groaned in pain when he tried to reach up to pull his helmet off. "Damn Sith knocked me back against a wall. I can barely move my right arm and my back feels like a herd of rontos ran me over."

"You might need a kolto tank," she warned him as she and Jorgan started helping him out of his armor. "Depends on how serious the damage is."

Reynarden nodded, resigned, and noticed the resistance members watching Elara suspiciously. Softly, he asked, "You all right, Elara?"

"I'm fine. _You're_ the one who's injured." She smiled briefly at him as she unzipped his cortosis weave and peeled it away from his skin.

He stifled a gasp of pain when it peeled away from his right side. "You're a terrible liar. What happened to _you_?"

"Nothing, and that's the problem." The medic didn't meet his eyes as she carefully cleaned the jagged slash he'd gotten along with everything else.

Reynarden glanced at the resistance members, and then back at Elara. "They didn't want you near them because of your accent?" She nodded shortly and dug a scanner out of her medkit to run it over his ribcage and arms. "That's ridiculous." Raising his voice, he addressed the resistance members in general. "Captain Dorne is a valued member of Havoc Squad and the best damn medic you could ask for. She just happens to have been born in Imperial space and I'd better not hear a word against her, am I clear?"

"Sir, that's not necessary." Despite her blush, a smile twitched at the corners of her mouth. In a more business-like tone, she continued, "Your ribs are bruised and you've fractured your right arm, but you'll live."

He grinned despite the pain as she injected kolto into his arm to speed up the healing process and held still as she stitched the wound on his side closed. "All thanks to you, Captain."

"Major, you're far too effusive." She sounded embarrassed as she bandaged his side.

Aric walked over from where he'd been examining their weapons to ensure they were still in working order. "Not at all, Captain. You deserve every award and commendation you've been given since joining the Republic military."

"Exactly." Reynarden nodded, pleased that the Lieutenant had picked up on what he was trying to do. "You're one of the best soldiers I've served with." Elara helped him remove the tank top he wore under his cortosis weave and drew in a soft breath when she saw his back. "That bad, huh?"

She gave a soft chuckle even as she began spreading kolto over his back. "I see now why you felt like you'd been run over by rontos."

"A whole herd of them," he corrected, relaxing as the kolto did its job and eased the pain.

He looked up when someone cleared their throat nearby. Odoun offered a nervous smile. "Apologies, Major, Captain. We're used to hearing certain accents and-- well--"

"It's quite all right." Elara didn't stop what she was doing, but Reynarden could hear the resignation in her voice.

Odoun shook his head. "No, it's not. You're in Havoc Squad for a reason and we-- that is, _I_ hoped you could look at some of our men. Most of what our medics know they learned on the fly."

"I'd be glad to help." Elara sounded relieved and Reynarden hid a smile. "Just let me finish patching up the Major and I'll be right over."

The resistance leader nodded, looking very relieved. "Thank you!"

"If anyone gives you an attitude because of your accent--" He turned enough to look at her over his shoulder.

She gently pushed his head back around. "I'll handle it, sir, thank you."

"Good." He stifled a sigh of regret when she finished. It'd been nice to feel her hands on him.

Elara patted his shoulder. "Contact General Garza and find out if it'd be safe to put you in a kolto tank for the night."

"Do I really need one?" Reynarden looked at her in concern.

She nodded. "If you want to be in fighting form tomorrow, yes."

"Understood."

* * *

"Is everyone here?" Reynarden asked as he boarded the shuttle that would transport them from the Bastion to the spaceport.

Aric turned to him with a salute, startled to see him holding Elara in his arms. "All present and accounted for, sir."

"Good. Give the word for us to take off." He set their medic down on one of the bench seats.

Jorgan turned to do just that. When he turned back, both of them had removed their helmets and a blush was spreading across Elara's cheeks as Reynarden knelt at her feet. "You don't need to do that, sir."

"I _want_ to." He smiled up at her as he carefully removed her boot and extended one hand to her.

She sighed and handed her scanner to him. "Very well."

"What happened?" Aric asked as Reynarden carefully ran the scanner along her lower leg.

Elara ducked her head sheepishly. "I, um, well--"

"She hurt her leg while we were fighting Rakton." Reynarden frowned when the scanner beeped. "Not just hurt it: broke it."

She looked surprised and held out her hand for the scanner. He handed it to her without a word. Elara shook her head when she saw the information on the screen. "I didn't think I'd fallen hard enough for that to happen."

"Apparently, you did," Aric remarked as she rummaged through her medkit and handed the necessary items to Reynarden. "I noticed that we don't have a prisoner."

Though his expression hardened, Reynarden's hands were gentle as he pushed up the leg of Elara's cortosis weave so they could see the bruising and the obvious signs of a break. "Nope, we don't. Someone like Rakton is too dangerous to take prisoner."

"No arguments from me." He offered his hand to Elara when Reynarden wrapped his hands around her leg above and below the break.

She stared at him for a moment before smiling and taking a firm grip. She nodded to their CO and he nodded back. He gave a quick, sharp jerk and Elara's hand tightened around Aric's, her cry of pain muffled by her other hand. "Sorry about that."

"It was necessary, sir." She offered a reassuring smile as he splinted and wrapped her leg to keep the bones lined up. "Don't apologize for that."

He grinned up at her as he loaded a vial into the injector and pressed it to her leg above the bandage. "All right, then, consider it rescinded."

"Will you need the kolto tank?" Aric asked as Reynarden carefully tugged Elara's cortosis weave down over the splint.

She shook her head. "No, that's the only injury I sustained. What about the others?"

"We've all been checked out and no major injuries to report." He watched with amusement as Reynarden sat down on her other side and she immediately leaned into him.

Elara covered a yawn as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "That's good. I'll check all of you myself when we get back to the ship."

"If you're awake to do it." Reynarden caught Aric's eye and winked.

Nodding back, he stood up and headed to the cockpit to check their progress. When he turned back, Elara had fallen asleep with her head on Reynarden's shoulder. He held a finger to his lips when he noticed Aric's approach. Nodding, he sat down without a word. _I won't be the least bit surprised if those two end up married._


	14. Quiet Moment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reynarden and Elara share a quiet moment.

"How's it look?" he asked, craning his head to look over his shoulder at Elara.

She gently but firmly turned his head to face forward again as she examined his shoulder. "It's healing nicely. I'm sure Ava would feel honored."

"Yeah, I think so, too." He unconsciously leaned back into her touch as she spread the kolto solution over his newest tattoo: Jaxo's initials superimposed over her rank.

He scrubbed his eyes as she placed a bandage over the tattoo. She sounded concerned as she asked, "Are you _sure_ I'm not hurting you?"

"Yes, I just-- I was thinking about--" He let out a shuddering sigh, unable to finish the thought.

Elara shifted to kneel in front of him on the bed, green eyes understanding yet stern. "Would Ava want you to beat yourself up over that decision?"

Smiling wryly, he shook his head. "No, she'd kick my ass, actually."

"Exactly: you need to let it go." She kissed his cheek, smiling softly. "Your tattoo honors her _life_ , not her death."

He slipped his arms around her waist, drawing her into his lap with a fond smile. "Thanks, Elara. I don't know what I'd do without you to knock sense into my thick skull."

"I shudder to think of it." Her smile turned coy as she looped her arms around his neck.

He grinned, slipping his hands under her tank top. "I don't like to think of life without you, either. It would be vastly different."

"Indeed, and I'd probably still be stuck on Taris if not for you." She rested her forehead against his, suddenly serious.

Smiling, he tilted his head to kiss her softly. "Thank the stars we don't have to worry about that. I want you to stay with me."

"Forever?" She pressed closer to him until their bodies were flush.

He didn't have to think about his answer. "Yes."

"There's nowhere I'd rather be."

"I love you, Elara."

"I love you, too, Reynar."


	15. Shadow of Revan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reynarden's a tough little guy.

"Out of my way." Reynarden growled at the big pirate blocking their way into the cantina. He was easily the same size as Vik.

The pirate didn't budge, sneering down at Reynarden. "Pretty tough for a little guy."

"Haven't you heard the news?" Tanno asked as their CO folded his arms across his chest. "This 'little guy' took out Gorro _and_ his brother."

Snorting in disbelief, the pirate pointed at the assault cannon strapped to Reynarden's back. "If your gun's big enough, you can take out anyone, no matter your size."

"I didn't need my assault cannon to take them out," the human retorted, chin lifted defiantly.

The pirate made a 'gimme' motion with his hands. "Prove it, little guy."

"Fine." Reynarden unstrapped his cannon and handed it to Elara.

In an undertone, she asked, "Are you sure about this, sir?"

"You've seen me fight Tanno. This guy'll be easy in comparison," he whispered back, catching her hand and giving it a squeeze.

She nodded and stepped back reluctantly. Elara wished Reynarden was wearing his proper armor, but they'd decided to switch to leatheris once they'd met up with Theron Shan and Lana Beniko and learned of the cover they'd established.

Reynarden stood in front of the pirate and made a 'gimme' motion. The pirate grinned and dropped into a ready position. The major stood seemingly at ease, arms folded across his chest. Elara, who sparred with him on a regular basis, could see that he had all of his weight balanced on the balls of his feet, his knees slightly bent. The pirate blinked and stared at him in surprise.

After a moment, the pirate gave a roar and charged forward, hands out to grab Reynarden. The major ducked and swept one leg out and around, knocking the pirate off his feet and onto his back. While he fought to catch his breath, Reynarden pressed his forearm against the larger man's windpipe. "Do you yield?"

"No." The pirate worked one arm under Reynarden and pushed him off. Before he could get a grip on the smaller male, however, he slipped away, out of reach.

The pirate scrambled to his feet, still catching his breath. He swung punch after punch at Reynarden, but the major blocked each of them, his expression calm and focused. Then he hooked one foot around the pirate's ankle and jerked, sending him crashing to the ground once again. "Do you yield?"

"No!" This time, the pirate grabbed Reynarden's ankle and yanked, making him fall as well. Before he could get up, the big pirate rolled on top of him, practically smothering him. "Do _you_ yield?"

Reynarden worked one hand free and jabbed the pirate in his side with stiffened fingers. He flinched and rolled away, giving the CO the chance to roll free. He wrapped his arms around the pirate's neck in a chokehold, holding on until he passed out. He cautiously released his hold and got to his feet. "Good fight, boss."

"Thank you." He nodded to Tanno and headed into the cantina.

Elara followed him, still holding Reynarden's assault cannon. Vik followed and took up the guard position outside the rooms they'd taken. She found Reynarden slumped on one of the beds, gasping for breath. "Are you all right, Reynar?"

"I will be." He managed a weak smile as she set his assault cannon in the corner. "He was no lightweight."

She rolled her eyes and kissed his cheek as she sat down beside him, scanner in hand. "That was the whole point, I understand."

"Heh, yeah." He took her free hand in his and squeezed as she scanned him, finding nothing wrong. "Thanks."

Elara shook her head as she leaned against him, setting the scanner on the bedside table. "I will never understand the need for the males of _any_ species to fight each other to prove they're tough."

"To be honest? I don't get it either, but it's the only way some of them respect me." He kissed her cheek as he slipped his arm around her waist. "Where's Vik?"

She tilted her head as he pressed kisses along her jawline. "Standing guard."

"Smart guy." He turned her head to hers for a soft kiss.

Elara responded readily, eager to take advantage of this moment of privacy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it for now. We'll see what the new expansion has in store for us. By the way, [this post](http://lainathiel.tumblr.com/post/128489896798/mensgymnastics-sam-oldham-for-palmerharding) came across my dash and Reynarden popped up and said, "It me!" Elara was speechless for several minutes before dragging Reynarden off to have her wicked way with him. ;-)


	16. Ord Mantell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sergeant Reynarden has an... unusual way of handling Lieutenant Virk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm more than a bit of a nerd, so I decided to re-roll all of my characters that belong in the half-siblings 'verse (Jeveen, Kejine, etc.) on the same server. While playing through Ord Mantell on Reynarden again, Reynar informed me that the confrontation with Virk didn’t play out the same way as in the game. So I literally stopped after doing that bit and wrote this scene. Enjoy!

"So you better believe that I'm going to make extra sure you come home from your next assignment in a box. Sergeant," Virk told Reynarden glowering down at the smaller man.

Reynarden didn't back down, folding his arms across his chest. "We could settle this right here, Virk. Or are you afraid of me?"

"Afraid?" Virk laughed derisively. "I ain't afraid of a little guy like you. If you wanna die so bad, then let's make it happen! Lock and load, boys--we're taking this punk down!"

The ensign to Virk's left looked uncertain. "Whoa, boss, are you sure? I mean we're right in the middle of the fort, someone might hear--"

"So turn on the sonic damper field," Virk told him sharply. "That's what we got it for! And somebody shoot this punk!"

Reynarden didn't even reach for his blaster rifle as the two ensigns set up the damper field. "Big, tough Virk, can't even take me on without back-up. Bet you can't even beat me without your weapon, either."

"Of course I can," Virk snarled. "Back off, boys, this punk is _mine_."

He swung a big, meaty fist at Reynarden's face. It didn't connect, though, because Reynarden bent backwards until he could brace his hands on the floor. Then he kicked his booted feet up into a handstand, catching Virk on the chin in the process, and rolled out of the handstand and back to his feet, all in the space of a few heartbeats. Virk was out cold on the ground and both of his men were staring at Reynarden in awe. Looking from one to the other, Reynarden asked, "Either of you want to try your luck?"

"N-no, Sergeant." The two of them shook their heads quickly.

Reynarden straightened out of his crouch and nodded. "Good. You're dismissed and get Virk out of here."

They heaved the unconscious Zabrak up and carried him out of the command center. When Reynarden turned to report in, he found Jorgan standing in the doorway, looking impressed for once. "That was quite the show, Sergeant."

"Praise from you, Jorgan? I'm touched." Reynarden couldn't hide a grin.

"Yeah, yeah, don't let it go to your head," Jorgan growled, glancing away. "I don't think that backbend and kick move is taught at the Academy."

Reynarden's grin didn't fade. "Fifteen years of gymnastics, sir. Could have gone professional if I hadn't chosen the military."

"Your armor cam was running the whole time, and I heard Virk threaten to kill you. He's done," Jorgan told him. "Thanks for helping us catch him."

"Glad to help, Lieutenant."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't have this idea the first time through because I hadn't come up with the idea of him being a gymnast yet. Once it occurred to me, I _had_ to write it.


End file.
